The conquest of consciousness
SHANTANU SINHA
|
We are witnessing today the concentration of the power to distribute information
|
THERE COULD be no such thing as a final post to which civilisation may be said to be progressing. The journey, this march to realise the potential of the human mind, to release it from various bondages, to enhance thought and imagination, to find the equilibrium between self and society so that the former does not lose its conscience, and the latter its purpose, is both the endeavour and its fulfilment; an endeavour that must ceaselessly, through generations, rejuvenate itself or else lose all relevance.
Unfortunately, that relevance is in mortal danger. We are witnessing today the concentration of the power to distribute information, not merely through overt means of censorships, bans, fatwas, or control over syllabi. The process is discreet, and infinitely more insidious. Information is, naturally, crucial to any system of thought. Symbolism, interpretation, abstraction, these come later. Evidently, to control the flow of information, one must be able to influence its source.
Manipulation
The degree and kind of influence exerted decides the quality of information that reaches the target. Herein lies the power to control perceptions, notions, ideas, conceptions, opinions — critical elements of consciousness. Throughout history, manipulation of information has been the condition to the retaining of power by those who have it. As means of communications developed, so did the need to control communication of information.
It is the cultural hegemony over people's minds, wants, desires, achieved by the corporate world that is, perhaps, going to be decisive in our post-modern times. In future, this influence will only become easier to exercise. Already, in India, we see how this phenomenon is playing out.
Many, rather most, of the supposedly "News" and "Current Affairs" channels are owned by business houses; answering whether one can expect any degree of objectivity, any emphasis that would rub corporate interests the wrong way, would be a redundant exercise.
An impression is sought to be created through all forms of the media that there is a consensus on the direction we wish our country to take, in all matters of economy, foreign policy, domestic politics, or national development. There is place for this consensus, and no other; indeed, others are patently bogus. Alternative views are showcased here and there, only, ultimately, to be solemnly refuted, and tolerated to the extent that they apparently betray themselves.
This shrinking of the space for dialogue, discussion and debate has gone generally ignored, not least because with the profusion of various forms of the media, the appearance of a drastically better aware citizenry has been successfully grafted onto the national consciousness. What has resulted is often uninformed, and terribly frivolous.
Information has, sadly, become both a commodity and a tool to help sell commodities. The citizens, too, have largely abdicated their responsibility to be well informed; whenever any of us sends via SMS a `Y' or `N' on any matter, from whether a bout of dictatorship would be a good idea, or if one thought A killed B, or was it C, we are making one more step on the way to disenfranchising ourselves, because all that such acts do is further trivialise the importance of public opinion.
The saddest effect is to diminish chances of making those in authority more accountable, as we don't ask the right questions — not because we do not want to, but because we cannot. It is only a matter of time that the government, which has lost considerable ground as far as using the media to its advantage is concerned, picks up the nuances; what would follow, in the general absence of informed, forthright, honest opinion needs no elaboration.
As things stand, it is in nobody's interest to have a better-informed citizenry. Each one of us is guilty of making ourselves, bit by bit, matter less and less. At the altar of expedience, we sacrifice our consciences every day.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Open Page
